Universal battery and modular power system

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for a universal modular battery and power system are provided. The universal modular battery may include a number of modular interconnection features that enable a number of universal modular batteries to be stacked for use in a universal battery power system. The modular interconnection features facilitate the modular addition or subtraction of batteries in the universal battery power system to, among other things, alter a power capacity of the system. The universal batteries in a power system may be exchanged, swapped, or moved from one power system to another, including power systems associated with different vehicles and/or buildings.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A universal rechargeable battery, comprising:
 a body, comprising:
 a top surface running from a front of the body to a rear of the body; 
 a bottom surface offset a distance from the top surface, wherein the bottom surface runs from the front of the body to the rear of the body; 
 a power cell area including one or more power cells electrically interconnected with one another, wherein each of the one or more power cells includes an electrolyte having positive and negative ions, and wherein the power cell area is housed in the body; 
 a protruding portion extending a distance from the bottom surface of the body, the protruding portion having a first sliding surface extending from the front of the body to the rear of the body that is arranged opposite the front of the body, wherein the first sliding surface is offset the distance from the bottom surface of the body; and 
 a receiving portion formed as a part of the body opposite the protruding portion, the receiving portion having a second sliding surface substantially matching the first sliding surface of the protruding portion, wherein the second sliding surface is inverse to the first sliding surface of the protruding portion, wherein the second sliding surface is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface of the body, and wherein the protruding portion and the receiving portion are both disposed along a side of the universal rechargeable battery. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The universal rechargeable battery of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first electrical contact electrically interconnected with the one or more power cells; and 
 a second electrical contact electrically interconnected with the one or more power cells, wherein the second electrical contact is physically separate from the first electrical contact, and wherein an electrical difference exists between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact. 
 
     
     
       3. The universal rechargeable battery of  claim 2 , wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are shrouded by at least a portion of the body. 
     
     
       4. The universal rechargeable battery of  claim 3 , wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are disposed inside an outer peripheral surface of the body. 
     
     
       5. The universal rechargeable battery of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power management area disposed at least partially inside the body and adjacent to the power cell area, wherein the power management area includes a controller, and wherein the controller is electrically interconnected to the one or more power cells. 
 
     
     
       6. The universal rechargeable battery of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handling feature operatively connected to an outer peripheral surface of the front of the body. 
 
     
     
       7. The universal rechargeable battery of  claim 6 , wherein the handling feature includes a robotic end-effector receiving feature, and wherein the handling feature allows automatic handling by a robot and restricts manual handling by a user. 
     
     
       8. A universal rechargeable battery stack, comprising:
 two or more universal rechargeable batteries arranged in a stack, wherein each of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries comprises:
 a body, comprising:
 a top surface running from a front of the body to a rear of the body; 
 a bottom surface offset a distance from the top surface, wherein the bottom surface runs from the front of the body to the rear of the body; 
 a power cell area including one or more power cells electrically interconnected with one another, wherein each of the one or more power cells includes an electrolyte having positive and negative ions, and wherein the power cell area is housed in the body; 
 a protruding portion extending a distance from the bottom surface of the body, the protruding portion having a first sliding surface extending from the front of the body to the rear of the body that is arrange opposite the front of the body, wherein the first sliding surface is offset the distance from the bottom surface of the body; and 
 a receiving portion formed as a part of the body opposite the protruding portion, the receiving portion having a second sliding surface substantially matching the first sliding surface of the protruding portion, wherein the second sliding surface is inverse to the first sliding surface of the protruding portion, wherein the second sliding surface is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface of the body, and wherein the protruding portion and the receiving portion are both disposed along a side of the universal rechargeable battery; and 
 
 
 wherein the protruding portion of a first universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries engages the receiving portion of a second and different universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries. 
 
     
     
       9. The universal rechargeable battery stack of  claim 8 , wherein the receiving portion of each universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries includes a first guide edge running from a front of each universal rechargeable battery to a rear of each universal rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       10. The universal rechargeable battery stack of  claim 9 , wherein a planar surface of the first guide edge is arranged perpendicular to a front surface of the universal rechargeable battery stack. 
     
     
       11. The universal rechargeable battery stack of  claim 10 , wherein the protruding portion of the second universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries engages with the first guide edge of the first universal rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       12. The universal rechargeable battery stack of  claim 11 , wherein the planar surface of the first guide edge and the protruding portion of the second universal rechargeable battery provide a sliding bearing surface between the first and second universal rechargeable batteries. 
     
     
       13. The universal rechargeable battery stack of  claim 12 , wherein the two or more universal rechargeable batteries are stacked directly on top of one another such that the second sliding surface of a first universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries is in direct contact with the first sliding surface of a second universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries. 
     
     
       14. A universal rechargeable battery power system, comprising:
 two or more universal rechargeable batteries arranged in a stack, wherein each of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries comprises:
 a body, comprising:
 a top surface running from a front of the body to a rear of the body; 
 a bottom surface offset a distance from the top surface, wherein the bottom surface runs from the front of the body to the rear of the body; 
 a power cell area including one or more power cells electrically interconnected with one another, wherein each of the one or more power cells includes an electrolyte having positive and negative ions, and wherein the power cell area is housed in the body; 
 a protruding portion extending a distance from the bottom surface of the body, the protruding portion having a first sliding surface extending from the front of the body to the rear of the body that is arranged opposite the front of the body, wherein the first sliding surface is offset the distance from the bottom surface of the body; and 
 a receiving portion formed as a part of the body opposite the protruding portion, the receiving portion having a second sliding surface substantially matching the first sliding surface of the protruding portion, wherein the second sliding surface is inverse to the first sliding surface of the protruding portion, wherein the second sliding surface is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface of the body, and wherein the protruding portion and the receiving portion are both disposed along a side of the universal rechargeable battery; 
 
 
 wherein the protruding portion of a first universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries engages the receiving portion of a second and different universal rechargeable battery of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries; and 
 a universal rechargeable battery receiving system having pairs of battery interconnections, wherein each pair of battery interconnections is configured to receive and electrically interconnect each of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries together. 
 
     
     
       15. The universal rechargeable battery power system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the two or more universal rechargeable batteries further comprises:
 a first electrical contact electrically interconnected with the one or more power cells; and 
 a second electrical contact electrically interconnected with the one or more power cells, wherein the second electrical contact is physically separate from the first electrical contact, and wherein an electrical difference exists between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact. 
 
     
     
       16. The universal rechargeable battery power system of  claim 15 , wherein each pair of battery interconnections includes first and second electrical probes configured to mate with first and second electrical contacts of a mating universal rechargeable battery. 
     
     
       17. The universal rechargeable battery power system of  claim 16 , wherein the universal rechargeable battery receiving system further comprises:
 at least one receiving feature disposed in a base thereof, and wherein the protruding portion of a first mating universal rechargeable battery engages the at least one receiving feature. 
 
     
     
       18. The universal rechargeable battery power system of  claim 17 , wherein the universal rechargeable battery receiving system further comprises:
 an electrical interconnection backplane, wherein each pair of battery interconnections is disposed on the electrical interconnection backplane. 
 
     
     
       19. The universal rechargeable battery power system of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second electrical probes of each pair of battery interconnections displace when an inserted universal rechargeable battery is connected with the universal rechargeable battery receiving system. 
     
     
       20. The universal rechargeable battery power system of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an electrical power output connector configured to only conduct electricity from inserted universal rechargeable batteries connected with the universal rechargeable battery receiving system.